Dear Reader:

What a day yesterday was …a combination of interstate highways and “Old State (back) Roads” amid thunder showers to and from Columbia. Brooke and I had a ball!

We arrived at Jackson’s home in Columbia just as the physical therapist, David, was leaving…(cute) and he bragged on Jackson and all her progress to date… to us. We could see the progress since Jackson was walking alone…with no help from crutches, canes, or walkers. You are amazing Jackson…three weeks after replacement knee surgery and you are up and walking around by yourself!

Em, Jackson’s sister, has been there through thick and thin…a wonderful helper and aide to Jackson…besides great company! She also has a wonderful sense of humor as you can see in the following gifts we each got from her.

I came straight home and proudly hung mine from the oven handle.

And here is the Dynamic Duo of Jackson and her sister, Em!

Brooke and I had planned on picking up lunch and bringing it to Jackson and Em but no doing…they were ready to go out to eat. Jackson was just full of surprises! We had a terrific time catching up with lots of laughter.

We have talked a lot about our “Happy Places”  and how important it is to have such a niche in our life…a place to go to and think, mediate, pray, or just enjoy the beauty of life around us. My computer room is my happy place for my creativity and the garden is my happy place for sanctuary.

Em told me that Jackson’s sanctuary and “happy place” is her deck outside filled with beautiful flowers.

Brooke and I had noticed on the way up to Columbia that the traffic was really heavy at times and we realized with this being the Friday before the Fourth of July holiday that it was people trying to get a jump  on the holiday before the late Friday afternoon traffic. We decided we would have to keep the visit a little shorter than planned to start back before it got any worse. (That didn’t happen exactly…)

We had arrived in Columbia in a thunderstorm but left with the sun shining…however ten miles away we started hitting thunder storm after thunder storm with traffic on I-26 completely bogged down.

Brooke decided our best bet was to get off the interstate and get on Highway 176…or “Old State Road”…a back road that runs parallel to the interstate. We got off at St. Matthews and started driving to the first small town…Cameron. It was still drizzling..but not pouring and the scenery was beautiful! The farm houses and crop fields glistened in the falling rain…with the crops beautiful shades of green.

I became nostalgic looking at the architectural designs on the old farm houses that brought back memories of my childhood in Laurens, South Carolina. Brooke found a station that played sixties music and suddenly we were back in college.

We knew all the lyrics and sang loudly…( for me…off-key.) As we sang “Hang on Snoopy“, “Red Rubber Ball” “The Tracks of my Tears,” and “See you in September” we were passing over little creek bridges by names like “Flea Bite Creek.” There was little or no traffic…just the comforting sound of pattering rain against the windows.

This “magical” back road abruptly dropped us right off onto I-95 and we were right back on the “parking lot” interstate again. We crept and crawled until we saw the Walterboro exit and then we knew we had made it.

 I love Brooke’s rustic palmetto tree and crescent moon on her house…I gathered up everything from Brooke’s car and moved it into my car for the last leg back home to Summerville…but Brooke had one more surprise.

“The Traveling Pocketbook“! Em gave the Ya’s each a Spartina clutch bag at Jackson’s son, Matthew’s wedding. I love mine and carry it everywhere! Then Brooke’s daughter-in-law, Veronica, received the larger matching pocketbook as a gift, but she had just gotten a new summer bag, so she gave it to Brooke, who she knew had a matching clutch purse, but then Jackson and I gave Libby and Brookie Spartina pocketbooks for their birthdays in June. So…Brooke gave me her pocketbook and I am thrilled! Thank you Brookie…so glad it ended up with me at the end of its journey!

As if this day wasn’t spectacular enough…as I left Walterboro to start the last leg of the journey home… amid more heavy thunderstorms…look what I glimpsed inside one dark cloud. What a way to end the day! A pastel rainbow!

So until tomorrow…

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Don’t forget! Today is the first day of July! Remember to say “Rabbit” for good measure and good mojo all month!